There is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,729, an electrical connector comprising an insulating housing in the form of a rectangular annulus, in cavities extending around the periphery of which, are electrical contact elements each comprising a contact arm having a contact pad on an interface surface of an electronic component. The contact arm of each contact element is connected by way of a support arm, to a rectangular cross section electrical pin for soldering into a plated through hole in a printed card, thereby connecting a respective contact pad on the interface surface to a conductor of the card. The pin, and the remainder of the contact element, are uniplanar, each contact element, and consequently opposed flat surfaces of its contact pin extending parallel to one of the X and Y axes of the housing. Such a connector is usuitable for use where the pads on said interface surface are arranged in a high density grid array comprising, for example, four rows of six contact pads each. Further, once secured to the circuit board, the contact elements can only be removed therefrom after disconnecting the soldered joints between the contact pins and the plating of the holes in the circuit board.